Book of James - Part 7

November 20, 2022

Pastor Patrick continued this series on the Book of James. A video of the message is here.

[Conversation Starters will begin again with the start of the next official life groups session on February 1, 2023.]

Patrick covered James 4:1-10 this morning, focusing on controlling envy and jealousy.

This can be such a big deal that it actually made it into the Ten Commandments: do not covet (Exodus 20:17). It's interesting that James picked up on envy/coveting as the root-cause of quarrels. And that the antidote is contentment with what you have.

When Prager discussed coveting, he noted that there can be two reactions to such wanting of what another has. It can either go badly, coveting (scheming to take or take credit) or it can go well, choosing to emulate and earn the credit on your own. Choosing to emulate rather than hold an envious grudge can be added to Patrick's list of countermeasures to envy: be content with what you have and be thankful.

Sometimes it's not possible to emulate another's skills or position. In this case, focus on what you do well and be thankful for what others do well.

To the extent that envy and coveting overlap, one can get into a great deal more trouble than quarrels. The notion of coveting (tah-mod) in Exodus includes acting on taking what is coveted. It's not just wanting something of our neighbor's. Later in Deuteronomy when the Ten Commandments are reiterated, the word "covet" is added to "crave" (titaveh) suggesting that there not the same. None of us would ever pass the test if it includes never wanting or desiring what our neighbor has. But, what you can't do is act on taking what is his. It is true, however, that craving can easily beget an act. There's a subtle "sub-command" here to control your feelings.

A footnote to the coveting commandment... The reference to house would be more accurately translated as household. Then what follows is what is included in the household. And the first, most important thing is the wife.

The other thing I'd like to mention is the reference to "come closer to God" in James 4:7-8. The sacrificial system as outlined in Leviticus and other rituals elsewhere in the Torah were all about answering the question, "How do we get close to this Jehovah?"

Bonus

Last week I mentioned the famous verse "Love you neighbor as yourself" (Lev. 19:18). I was talking about the last few words of that verse which are rarely included in a quotation, "I am God." Today, I'd like to look at the main content of the verse. There are a couple of "problems" with it...

Can you really love anyone as much as you love yourself? In reality, not likely. As Dennis Prager points out, even the rabbis recognized that when push comes to shove, you have to take care of #1, yourself. The rabbis tell a story: You and a dear friend are hopelessly lost in the desert. You brought enough water for one person to survive. What do you do? Share it? Then both of you die. Give it to your friend? No, it's your water. You drink it and survive.

Put another way, if you don't take care of yourself, you can't be any help to anyone else.

And having talked recently about human nature, it's quite clear that human nature puts #1 first.

So, is the verse actually suggesting we can love someone else as much as we love ourselves? Well, no. And here a look at the Hebrew makes a difference. It actually says "love TO your neighbor," as in do loving things toward your neighbor. The Hebrew helps with the second part as well. The "as yourself" is more like "as if he were you." As much as we'd like to think we can empathize totally with someone, there simply is no way to get entirely "in their shoes." But, it is critical that one recognizes that we are all a lot like each other. We all have similar hopes, dreams, worries, etc.

By the way, "neighbor" includes non-Israelites, too. (See verse 34.)

So, here's the best, most practically meaningful translation offered by Prager: "Do love to your neighbor who is just like you." I threw in the "just" which is not there in the Hebrew but feels right in the meaning.